We currently have a SD which is handling Incidents, Service Requests etc between 09:00 - 17:00, after these hours the calls are transferred to a 3rd Party to record the incidents.

However the 3rd party does not currently record the incidents within a system but instead uses email to communicate to the on-call engr. This obviously poses major issues and customers are wanting to see a change to this. And quickly.

The 3rd party has offered to act as our SD and perform the incident management. Then our SD would become in effect 2nd Line. However there are some concerns as to whether this company is technical enough to provide the support of a similar level to which customers recieve now.

The other option is to let the 3rd party log all incidents but then assign to our SD to diagnose and update/allocate/monitor/escalate etc. However the SPOC is removed as customers will need to either to have separate numbers or use a IVR system to ensure they end up at the right location. Not ideal. As well as effectively creating 2 Service Desks.

One thing we must do is give the 3rd party access to our logging system so at least records can be created.

Staffing our SD to do a 24/7 option is possible but not a quick fix. And is more likely the long term solution.

I am guessing the best interim solution is to allow the 3rd party access to our system and encourage them to provide quality data through templates. But for them to remain just as Incident Loggers, rather than try and provide 1st Line diagnosis, dispatch, SLA monitoring and all the other functions.

(n.b our current system is missing some key features, SLA Monitoring, Priority setting, etc etc) meaning that the 3rd party would struggle I believe to perform all the functions correctly.

I agree, but sadly a lot of these decisions were taken prior to my arrival so I am now trying to pull them out of the mud.

Currently overnight incidents are written into an email (sigh.. & look upwards) and sent to the on-call engr. So as you point out there is a big problem that an incident raised friday night has no reference attached until monday morning, and only then if it is still on-going. BIG PROBLEM.

I think I know that really the solution to my scenario here is that relunctantly I allow the 3P access to our system and they log the calls. Our SD will dispatch, manage etc. As well as review the current contract to see what they are expected to do. This has to happen as we must reference every incident and we must improve the service for our customers. Plus we must do that quickly, as staffing and changing to a 24/7 system will take time. Too much time to make the changes as quickly as the customers are demanding.

Then on a longer term we look to staffing our SD so it can operate 24/7 and manage the volume.

Speaking of volume (this is something I left out), our current SD was cut from 7 to 4 people. Hence the scenario that mgmt is looking for a way to ease some of the pressure. I am not happy with the 3P running in effect our complete SD. It scares me to allow a 3P that much control over the satisfaction of our customers.

The seemly quick gains from outsourcing your SD to a 3rd party company to the obvious upcoming lack of accountability on incidents and the eventually downturn of customer satisfaction and thereby driving customers away.

IMNSHO, you should ask your senior management if they are willing to lose customers, business and $$$ or £££ because of this.

It is the emperors' clothes time.

If your customers are interal corporate staff, then you have the issue of confidentiality and other securoty bugbears. If you have external customers, the first reaction will be...why am i paying $$$$ for $ service.

You're right that is exactly how I felt the situation was here. Caught between a rock and a hard place. I think management will be delivered my opnion they need to temp outsource phone logging to the 3P but commit to some serious investment into the SD and save what customer satisfaction is left and cement some good practice to sell to future customers.

There is a lot to fix here. But thanks for your responses even though I knew them myself its nice when it feels like you are stuck in the mud, that you are at least thinking clearly!!!